NERG June 2017 NEWS North East Radio Group Inc PO Box 270, Greensborough, VIC 3088 www.nerg.asn.au ABN - 19 340 249 865 Incorporated 1985 Victoria Reg No A0006776V Affiliated with the WIA Learning CW (Morse WHAT'S ON THIS MONTH Code)

Strange as it may seem there are still many Monthly meeting CW QSO's happening on the bands. As a matter of fact there were 280 DXCC entities active on Thursday 8th June 2017 Regular club CW in 2016 (Source “2016 DXCC Year End Review – meeting 8:00 pm till late at the club rooms. by Joe Reisert, W1JR”) For the rare DXpeditions on the air in 2016 more CW contacts were made HF Antenna Modelling – Paul VK3DIP will than any other mode (Same source) Therefore if show us how to model HF antennas, including you want to get your DXCC total up learning CW Tony VK3CAB's “Linked Dipole” from April can be a great advantage. 2017 NERG News A number of people will tell you that using CW decoding software is just as good as actually learning the code. When conditions are good and signals are in the clear then software like Coffee Club nd MRP40 can be fantastic, but introduce weak, Thursday 22 June 2017 7:30 pm till fading signals and some QRM and the decoder around 10:00 at the club rooms. can let you down at the critical instant that the rare DX station is sending your call!

Gainfully Unemployed Lunch Once you have decided to learn CW the next Group question is how do I learn it? Tuesday 27th June 2017 - AT The Greensborough RSL Coffee at 11:00 and First concentrate on receiving the code as lunch around 12:30 in the Bistro. sending is relatively easy in comparison and these days sending is really easy as almost all of us use macros in our logging program for sending. I use a paddle very occasionally when I want to add something that is not in a macro. I Radio Café think receiving is a completely different skill to Every Thursday afternoon sending. The other really important thing is to Come along and have a chat, operate the learn the code as sounds rather than dots and club station or show off your latest construction dashes. So as dits and dahs and a B would be project. And of course have a cuppa. dahdididit and a C dahdidahdit The standard timing of CW is based on the length of a dit. A dah is three dits long, spacing between elements within a character is one dit long. A character space is three dits and a word space 7 dits. That means at correct spacing you have

NERG NEWS June 2017 Page 1 of 6 3 dits time to decode the character before the The current thinking on learning the code next one starts. Practice reduces the time it seems to be the "Koch" method, combined with takes for us to convert what we have heard to the Farnsworth method., The Koch method is a character. where you learn two characters, practice them and when you are receiving them at 90% I found this chart on accuracy add another letter and practice them http://www.learnmorsecode.com/ till 90% then add another and so on until you and I think this could be a great way to learn have all the character learnt and copying them to receive. Mind you that's just what I think it at 90%. The characters seem to be added in a may not help at all but it does give a structure particular order, to assist in learning and to listening that I never considered when I was differentiating between similar characters. learning. The Farsworth method involves playing the characters at a fast speed, say 25 WPM and spacing them out so the overall speed is low, say 5 WPM. Evidently this helps in getting your speed up quickly and stops “plateaus” where you get stuck at a particular speed and cannot get past it for several days. I and many others suffered this.

This is a code listening tool. Print it on your printer. Place your pencil where it says START and listen to There are several sites with downloads that morse code. can help you, I suggest having a look at the Move down and to the right every time you hear a DIT following: (a dot). Move down and to the left every time you hear a DAH http://aa9pw.com/morsecode/ - has online (a dash). practice facility, no need to download anything Here's an example: You hear DAH DIT DIT which is a he also has an article on learning the code dash then dot then dot. including a description of the Koch method. See You start at START and hear a DAH then move down http://aa9pw.com/morsecode/so-you-want-to- and left to the T and then you hear a DIT so you move down and RIGHT to the N and then you hear another learn-morse-code/ DIT so you move DOWN and RIGHT again and land on the D http://www.justlearnmorsecode.com/ - This You then write down the letter D on your code copy site has a downloadable trainer that will take a paper and jump back to START waiting for your next bit of time to get used to but should be good, letter. The key to learning the code is hearing it and uses the Koch method. I had a play and it comprehending it while you hear it. seemed OK but could not work out how to get it The only way to get there is to practice 10 minutes a to play a txt file as CW. day. Listen to code tapes or computer practice code while http://lcwo.net/ Is another online site for tracing out this chart and you will find yourself writing down the letters in no time at all without the aid of the teaching and practice, requires a log-on but you chart. can uses any unique name and don't need to The chart brings repetition together with recognition, put in any details. which you don't get from any other type of code practice aid. I hope this helps you along the way to learning CW, If you are too impatient and want As I said I am not sure this is the best way to to get on the air and work those rare stations learn the code. When I learnt I started at the then get MRP40 decoder and give it a go. Ask beginning of the alphabet and learnt all the some of the regular DXing crew about setting up characters through to the end and then starting macros in your logging program, or MRP40 and listening to 5 WPM tapes. Once I could copy get going. One thing I think everyone should do most of those I moved up to faster and faster is learn to hear your own callsign coming back, tapes. and what a question-mark sounds like; that way you can tell when the DX station comes back to

NERG NEWS June 2017 Page 2 of 6 you and also if he sends part of your call and a the afternoon and following an excellent dinner question mark. at a local pub the teams took off for the Night Hunt that involved hunting 5 legs (in order) - Also study the Q code as these will be used 70CM - 10M - 6M - 70CM and finally, - 10M. and recognise if he is trying to work someone else and don't just keep sending your call. Four teams took part with the results as follows, in order: If your decoder is not getting anything then STOP SENDING – no point in just adding to VK3CI VK3FOX VK3BLN & VK3OW the QRM while not knowing what the DX is sending. Regular Monthly hunts are held on 2 metres on the third Friday of the month and new hounds Remember that CW is not like other digital are always welcome. If you would like to get into modes and that the guy at the other end may fox hunting or give it a try contact Greg VK3VT be sending using a straight key, a paddle, a and he will try to get you a seat in a hound bug or a computer and so your software may vehicle and show you the ropes. Due to the never decode him/her. closeness of the AFHC there will be no June hunt so the next hunt is scheduled for the 21st That should be about it, all it takes is July 2017. practice, practice and more practice. In my case it took 6 months of 1 hour per day in two Discounts from Suppliers 30min stints to get up to about 15 WPM. But I have no musical talent, if you are musical then you will pick it up much quicker. !! Club members can get discounts from two suppliers: ARDF NEWS Amateur Radio Direction Finding is a part of Altronics. (Australia Wide), Mention you are our hobby which is flourishing around from the North East Radio Group or give our Melbourne. This is probably due to the customer no - 64429. Discount will be minus Victorian ARDF Group and their tireless 10% up to 45% off depending on the item. workers. (Actual discounts depend on the product type and quantity purchased). There is No Minimum There are no ARDF events planned for June. Spend in store to receive the discount. For on- line or phone Sales there IS a Minimum spend of FOXHUNT NEWS $25.00 inc GST but NOT including Freight. In the comments section put “64429” to receive the There was no regular 2M hunt in May as discount. http://www.altronics.com.au teams were preparing for the annual Australian Fox Hunting Championships (AFHC) held in Having used this recently I discovered that David Mount Gambier on the Queen's Birthday VK3UQ gets emails detailing delivery of your Weekend. Instead the Victorian Foxhunting order, that you may not get. So pop him an email Championships were held on Saturday 20th when you order and he will be able to track which May. email belongs to you. We hope to have a method of dealing with this soon. Roger VK3HRL, Mark VK3MD, Geoff VK3VR and Ian VK3MZ from the regular VK3MZ/VR/HRL/MD team plus a group of eager helpers including Jack VK3WWW Jaycar Electronics stores by mentioning you organised the event. Starting from Roger's are from the “North East Radio Group” You need home in Newport we headed out for a number to spend a min $25.00 to receive a 10% of hunts on the Championship bands of 80M discount. http://www.jaycar.com.au/ 10M, 6M 70CM, and 23CM. As we all hunt regularly on 2M there were no hunts held there. Several multi-legged hunts were held during

NERG NEWS June 2017 Page 3 of 6 June 2017 June 2017 PLANNED DXPEDITIONS CONTESTS Start End Entity Callsign Looks like June 10 and 11 will be a good May 23 Jun 18 Zimbabwe Z25DX time for those chasing Australian Shires. Details of the contest and a list of Shires and May 25 Jun 04 Congo TN5E their abreviations can be found at http://www.wia.org.au/members/contests/wa May 28 Jun 05 Br Virgin Is VP2V vks/ If you use VKCL for logging a new Saba & St updated version has just been released. May 29 Jun 04 PJ5 Eustatius The All Asian DX CW contest on the 17th Jun 01 Jun 06 Liechtenstein HB0 and 18th is a good chance to catch up with some rare Asian countries. Jun 04 Jun 16 Reunion FR

Jun 07 Jun 12 Malta 9H3XG Contest Dates & Times Jun 07 Jun 16 Bahamas C6A 0000Z-0759Z, Jun Jun 09 Jun 18 Palau T8CW DRCG WW RTTY 10 and1600Z-2359Z, Contest Jun 10 and0800Z- Jun10 Jun 20 Albania ZA 1559Z, Jun 11 French 0600Z, Jun 10 to Jun 11 Jun 19 TX5EG VK Shires Contest Polynesia 0600Z, Jun 11

Jun 13 Jun 26 Faroe Is OY Asia-Pacific Sprint, SSB 1100Z-1300Z, Jun 10 1200Z, Jun 10 to Jun 14 Jun 20 Sint Maarten PJ7 Portugal Day Contest 1200Z, Jun 11 Jun 15 Jun 25 Cyprus 5B GACW WWSA CW DX 1500Z, Jun 10 to Jun 16 Jun 23 Palau T8 Contest 1500Z, Jun 11

Jun 18 Jun 28 Montenegro 4O7GD All Asian DX Contest, 0000Z, Jun 17 to CW 2400Z, Jun 18 Jun 24 Jul 01 Christmas I VK9AA Ukrainian DX Classic 1200Z, Jun 17 to Jun 28 Jul 02 Palau T88TJ RTTY Contest 1159Z, Jun 18

French 1200Z, Jun 17 to Jun 29 Jul 17 TX5EG ARR BPSK63 Contest Polynesia 1200Z, Jun 18

Jul 01 Jul 07 Market Reef OJ0V Stew Perry Topband 1500Z, Jun 17 to Challenge 1500Z, Jun 18 Jul 01 Jul 09 St Kitts & Nevis V4 Battle of Carabobo 0000Z, Jun 24 to St Pierre & International Contest 2400Z, Jun 25 Jul 04 Jul 18 FP Miquelon His Maj. King of Spain 1200Z, Jun 24 to Contest, SSB 1200Z, Jun 25 Thanks to http://www.ng3k.com/misc/adxo.html Ukrainian DX DIGI 1200Z, Jun 24 to Contest 1200Z, Jun 25 1800Z, Jun 24 to ARRL Field Day 2100Z, Jun 25

NERG NEWS June 2017 Page 4 of 6 RAC Canada Day WIA DXCC Leaderboard. Simon VK3SIM 0000Z-2359Z, Jul 1 Contest won this for 2015 and came second overall in DXCCs confirmed for 2016 (results recently Venezuelan Ind. Day 0000Z-2359Z, Jul 1 announced) He also won the Digital class and Contest came second in CW and open classes. Great 1100Z, Jul 1 to effort Simon. First for 2016 was Graham DL-DX RTTY Contest 1059Z, Jul 2 VK3GA, also a NERG Member. Marconi Memorial HF 1400Z, Jul 1 to This award requires confirmations for DXCC Contest 1400Z, Jul 2 QSOs and in a year where the sunspots have been less that helpful Graham confirmed 257 Many thanks to http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/contestcal.html DXCC entities and Simon 212. Who says the bands are dead?

NEWS Items Remo REMOTE STATION ARRL Get it wrong! Recently the ARRL deleted two entities from the DXCC program claiming that they had changed management jurisdictions and so failed the test for a DXCC entity. One of the old hands put forward a very well argued counter opinion to the ARRL's and magically Kure and Midway Islands were returned to the DXCC list!! In reading his opinion it was obvious that the ARRL had failed to follow their own rules!

UPGRADE COURSE This is now available to members, you will Remo need: A Standard or Advanced Licence. Thank you to those that indicated an interest • (Foundation Licensees can receive only.) in this course. It will now be commencing later A windows computer with sound card this month and details will be out shortly. If you • connected to a speaker and a microphone. are interested and have not let Greg know A PC headset is ideal. please do it soon at vk3vt (at) nerg.asn.au The OR an android tablet or phone and are class will run for about 14 weeks and will be • prepared to pay for the app (less than $20) held on a week night (possibly not Thursdays Download the client from this time) cost will be $100 for members. The • RemoteHams.com install it on your course is aimed at Advanced Licence but machine and register with covers all of the Standard syllabus as well. RemoteHams.com using your callsign. The android app is called RCForb and is CONGRATULATIONS available on google play. • The NERG station is currently known as JMMFD A number of club members scored “VK3GG test” Connect to it and request places in their respective categories in the “club” membership and TX capability. Then st JMMFD including Steve VK3MEG (1 ) Simon wait until your membership is approved and nd nd VK3SIM (2 ), Bernard VK3AV (2 ), and Paul away you go! nd VK3DIP (2 ). As a matter of interest I noted • Transmit Usage privileges will only be nd VK2ND also received a 2 place!! available to financial NERG members with VK callsigns.

EDITORIAL

NERG NEWS June 2017 Page 5 of 6 The NERG Inc. Reg No A0006776V This looks like being a busy Month as I will http://nerg.asn.au The North East Radio Group, be off to the Australian Foxhunting Inc. is an amateur radio club devoted to Championships in Mount Gambier over the encouraging members and others to enjoy the Queens Birthday Weekend. hobby of amateur radio. It tries not to hang on ceremony and endless reporting but rather For those who chase Shires the same participate in the fun aspects of this fascinating weekend will see the VK Shires Contest, a hobby. chance to increase your count very quickly. WEB SITES Remember to check your Shire's (or City's) The NERG is on Facebook – A group has code, they are not obvious!! been established and can be found at https://www.facebook.com/groups/nergamateur/ Our regular Radio Cafe on Thursday Members are encouraged to join this group afternoons has become quite popular with 5 to 6 regulars each week. If you are free come WEB Sites: http:// www. nerg.asn.au and along and have a chat and a cuppa. http://www.qsl.net/vk3rmh

Our AGM is coming up in August, this MEMBERSHIP FEES includes the election of office bearers and committee. So have a think about who you (Due in August): Full: $30 Family: $40 would like to see on the committee, Concession: $20 Send to: NERG Treasurer, PO box 270, Greensborough, Vic., 3088 73 Greg VK3VT COMMITTEE Editor President David VK3UQ Vice President Greg VK3VT Secretary John VK3XD Treasurer Margie VK3VOJ Committee Members

Margherita Pizza ph 9434 4980 Colin VK3VGB Chris VK3AWG 89 Main Road, Lower Plenty, Vic 3093 Matthew VK3BKT Grant VK3GWS web www.margherita.com.au Ethan VK3ETC Mark VK3BYY Margherita's Still Sponsor the NERG and provide the excellent suppers that we have Don VK3KDT come to enjoy. Order your next Pizza dinner from them and tell them you appreciate their MEETINGS support of the club. Main Meeting: 2nd Thursday of each month at 7.45 PM (not Dec & Jan) Coffee Shop nights: NERG NEWS ARTICLES 4th Thursday each month. Briar Hill Community The NERG is always happy to receive news, Hall, 126 Mountain View Road, Briar Hill (Near articles, and member’s wanted or for sale Sherbourne Road intersection) Melway map ref advertisements for inclusion in the newsletter. 21-C3 Please contact the editor at news{at}nerg.asn.au NETS NERG NETS run on 146.575 MHz FM Simplex (8.30 – 9.30 pm Thursdays). Please join the discussions. Also used as a general Net frequency. THE NERG

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